Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi will reportedly meet top officials from Uttar Pradesh on Friday in his chambers as the country awaits Supreme Court’s verdict on the controversial Ayodhya land dispute case.
According to reports, the Chief Justice will meet the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary and police chief in his chambers.
The officials are expected to appraise the CJI of the preparations being made in the state ahead of the Ayodhya verdict.
Sources said that the officials would inform Gogoi of the festivals –Kartik Purnima and Prakash Parv and the Kartik Mela that will attract lakhs of devotees till November 13.
The apex court is expected to announce a verdict in the 134-year-old politically-sensitive Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute before CJI Ranjan Gogoi leaves office on November 17.
Justice SA Bobde, who will take over as the next Chief Justice, has termed the Ayodhya case “one of the most important in the world”.
The 63-year-old Chief Justice-designate is part of the five-judge bench that heard the title suit for over 40 days.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a three-hour review meeting with top police and administration officials in Lucknow late on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also discussed the matter with his council of ministers in Delhi on Wednesday and asked them to refrain from making unnecessary statements on the subject and maintain harmony in the country.
The PM’s diktat comes after senior RSS and BJP leaders reached out to prominent Muslim clerics and intellectuals and stressed that irrespective of the nature of the top court’s ruling there should neither be ‘junooni jashn’ (excessive celebration) nor ‘haar ka hungama’ (brouhaha over defeat).
Also, the ruling BJP asked its workers and spokespersons to refrain from making provocative statements on the Ram temple issue. The party also told its MPs to visit their constituencies for maintaining calm.
The daily hearing on the matter commenced on August 6 and ended on October 16 amidst high drama by the concerned parties in the Supreme Court.
The apex court began daily hearings after a court-appointed panel failed to find a solution through mediation.
With the view that the verdict might disturb the law and order situation, security has been beefed up in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.
Leaders across the political spectrum have appealed to the citizens to maintain harmony and respect the Supreme Court’s order.